I want to take a moment this week to honour one of Richmond’s most ardent volunteers. This is a gentleman that always put Richmond first whether he was serving on the City of Ottawa’s Rural Issues Advisory Committee, sitting as President of the Richmond Village Association or taking part in the development of the village’s Community Design Plan. This week, Bruce Webster, who has called Richmond home for 45 years, will be moving west to be closer to his family.

Mr. Webster has taken an active role in making the rural part of Ottawa better, initially in the post-amalgamation Rural Summits and then with the Rural Council of Ottawa-Carleton and the Federation of Citizens’ Associations and, of course, his work with RIAC. He took that one step further in March 2010 when he registered to run to represent Rideau-Goulbourn on Ottawa City Council.

Mr. Webster’s volunteerism runs far beyond politics, however, as he has also been very involved in minor hockey, canvassing for the Heart & Stroke Foundation and helping out as a driver for the Canadian Cancer Society. His passion for Richmond and dedication to our community will certainly be missed.

I have always been impressed by Bruce’s commitment to his community and his passion for local issues. I have been fortunate to know him over these last eight years, through three elections. He always kept me on my toes and I think I am a better representative because of it.

We’ll miss you Bruce; enjoy BC!

The focus for much of my November columns will be on upcoming public meetings. Because of the election, we’ve loaded up on them for this month. The week of November 24th is a big week, in which we have meetings on the proposed amendment to the Mahogany Development (November 25th, 7:00pm at the Manotick Arena), our next meeting on the Manotick Secondary Plan (November 29th, 10:00am at the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority building) and another meeting on the 27th of November in Kars to discuss our plans for Rideau Valley Drive South. I’ll get into that further on in this column.

Energy East Pipeline

Next Tuesday, the 18th of November, residents who may have questions or concerns on the proposed Energy East pipeline project, are invited to an Open House between 4:00pm and 8:00pm at the North Grenville Municipal Centre in Kemptville. The last open house was held in North Gower. After their first two rounds of public consultation, TransCanada officially submitted their project application to the National Energy Board on October 30, 2014. You can find more information about TransCanada’s proposal at www.energyeastpipeline.com and you can find out more about the National Energy Board at www.neb-one.gc.ca.

Rideau Valley Drive South

Driving through Kars, you’ve likely noticed the work that was done this summer to widen the portion of Rideau Valley Drive South, between Roger Stevens Drive and Dorack Drive. The purpose for this was to provide safer space for pedestrians and cyclists. However, that project ended at Dorack which brings us to our planned project for 2015.

Next summer, the plan is to resurface Rideau Valley Drive South, from Dorack Drive to Lockhead Road. As part of that, the portion that runs through the village, from Dorack Drive to the bridge, will see the renewal of the storm water sewers and the addition of sidewalks and, potentially, a multi-use pathway north of Dorack Drive.

On Thursday, November 27th, the City of Ottawa is hosting an open house at the Kars Recreation Centre to show the community the plans for the street and to get your feedback. Staff will be on hand to answer any questions you may have. The Open House is scheduled to run from 5:30pm until 9:00pm giving residents the opportunity to come when it suits their schedule. I will be there for the first 90 minutes but my staff will be on hand to listen to comments as well.

This is an exciting project for the village of Kars and I look forward to this upcoming meeting.

McBean Street Bridge Sidewalk

The City of Ottawa will begin construction work in this week on the sidewalk widening along the east side of the McBean Street Bridge. This work is being conducted to improve sidewalk access across the Bridge and allow for easier snow plowing during the winter.

The work will be carried out by D-Squared Construction and is expected to last until the middle of December. The Constructor will take every precaution to minimize interruptions during the course of work. We would like to thank you in advance for your patience and co-operation.

The RVCA & Other City of Ottawa Boards and Committees

On November 27th, I’ll be attending the monthly Board Meeting for the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, in which we’ll be discussing the 2015 budget. The RVCA is one of many City of Ottawa committees and boards that we are currently recruiting for citizen members to serve on. This is a good opportunity to get involved with the City in an area of interest or expertise.

Over the last four years, I have had the opportunity to sit on the RVCA, the Built Heritage Sub-Committee, the Pine View Municipal Golf Course Board of Management and serve as Council Liaison to the Environmental Stewardship Advisory Committee. All of these committees have citizen members and, in the coming weeks, we’ll be filling those roles.

To be eligible, you must be a resident of the City of Ottawa and 18 years of age or older. (City employees are not eligible.)

You can get more information by visiting the City of Ottawa website at www.ottawa.ca or by contacting Carole Legault at 613-580-2424, ext. 28934, (TTY: 613-580-2401) or by e-mail at committees@ottawa.ca

You can also learn more about becoming a committee/board member at our public information session on Thursday, November 13th between 6:00pm and 8:00pm at the Mary Pitt Centre, 100 Constellation Crescent.

All applications must be submitted by Thursday, November 27 at 4:30 p.m.